Brighton strives to become the first suicide safer city
Today is World Suicide Prevention Day, and a broad range of mental health and other well-being organisations unite to use the opportunity to shine the spotlight on suicide and to tackle the stigma that surrounds the issue. I was emboldened and intrigued to read of Brighton and Hove’s ambitions to become the world’s first suicide safer city by September 2015. They report that they are already on their way to delivering their three year plan to significantly improve access to suicide intervention services and suicide bereavement services; train staff in suicide alertness and intervention skills and bring the community together to mark World Suicide Prevention Day. This is laudable as suicide prevention is sadly rarely seen to the public health priority that it should be, given the lives lost and impact on health that suicide has. I’m disappointed that it’s a year since the National Suicide Prevention Strategy was launched by Government, and as yet there has been pitifully little that Public Health Departments across the country have done to seek to embed prevention activity, and support for those bereaved. I will find out more about this inspiring Brighton and Hove vision and hope it inspires others to follow their lead.